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Vision
The SA Army Armour Formation is a professional, loyal, well-trained
force, ready to serve South Africa.
Mission
The SA Army Armour Formation provides combat ready forces to Chief
of the SA National Defence Force and specialist advise on Armour related
matters in sustaining a credible Armour System for the SA National Defence
Force.
Mandate
The SA Army Armour Formation is mandated by the Chief of the SA Army to
provide the armour component of the landward defence capability. This
capability needs to be a combat-ready user systems (US) including 1st and
2nd line support. The following functional responsibilities are derived from
the mandate:
The armour component of the landward defence capability must be combat
ready and cost effective.
The continuous care and equity improvement of the processes, people,
information, equipment and facilities of the SA Army Armour Formation must
be reflected in the SA plan.
The main focus of the SA Army Armour Formation is on preparing the armour
force (structuring, equipping, facilities and doctrine).
Combat ready armour forces will be provided to Chief of the SA National
Defence Force / Chief Joint Operations for force employment in a specific
mission.
History
The establishment of the South African
Armoured Corps (SAAC) was proclaimed shortly
after the Second World War in Government Gazette
No 3716 of 18 October 1946. The history of
Armour in South Africa, however, dates back much
further.
Armour and the principles of firepower,
mobility and shock effect, date back to the
cavalry that once was a decisive arm of battle.
Cavalry was introduced to Southern Africa by the
British forces before the turn of the 20th
century. The principle of mounted operations was
used by the British forces and, although on a
far more informal scale, also used extensively
by the Boer forces during the Anglo-Boer War of
1899 - 1902.
The first real Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV)
were introduced to Southern Africa by the Royal
Naval Air Service when they used armoured cars
to support South African forces in capturing
German South West Africa (Namibia) in 1915.
After the First World War the South African
government acquired in a single Whippet Tank
from Britain and used it to control the 1922
Witwatersrand Strike. In February 1922, two
Grossley Armoured Cars were also acquired.
During the severe economic depression of
1933, the government established a Special
Service Battalion on 1 May 1933 as a job
opportunity and social upliftment project. The
Springbok was first used as a symbol for the
unit until it was changed to the national flower
- the Protea - in July 1934, which is still used
today.
The Special Service Battalion was converted
to an armoured car regiment at the start of the
Second World War, and later to a tank regiment.
In April 1943, the Special Service Battalion was
deployed in North Africa and used a black beret
sporting silver proteas as a badge and a "flash"
with red/orange, white and blue as its colours.
When the South African Armoured Corps was
thus officially proclaimed in 1946 and Special
Service Battalion was included in the corps as
the only full-time unit, its symbols and colours
were incorporated.
Army Training Instruction 7/59 authorised the
South African Armour Corps colours as Orange (BS
1557) over Blue (BS 1104). The colours orange
and blue were, however, divided by a metal
colour namely silver. Any regimental numbering,
tactical call signs and other indicators were to
be in silver.
The School of Armour was established on 1
April 1966 and adopted these South African
Armour Corps colours and the proteas in their
insignia and emblems. The South African Army
started using stable-belts in 1983 and the South
African Armour Corps adopted the colours of the
beret flash for the belt. On 24 July 1996, the
Chief of the South African National Defence
Force approved the colours (and flag) for the
South African Armour Corps as orange over blue,
divided by silver/white.
On its 50th anniversary in 1996 the South
African Armour Corps officially adopted the
mailed fist emblem with protea as the corps
symbol to clearly distinguish it from the
Special Service Battalion's emblem adopted and
used since 1946.
Through political changes in 1948 and 1994,
the colours and symbols of the South African
Armour Corps have been retained and to date
these colours have distinguished the South
African Armour Corps that ha loyal served
various governments with distinction. The SA
Armoured Corps is known for its professional and
dedicated soldiers who proudly serve their
country under their traditional corps symbols
and colours.
SA Armour Formation
Headquarters Short History
The unit was established on 1 April 1999 and
is situated in the Sebokeng building in
Pretoria, Gauteng.
The SA Army Armour Formation relocated from
the Bester building in Dequar Road to the
Sebokeng buildings in Patriot street at the end
of 2003. The SA Army Artillery Formation, SA
Army Air Defence Artillery Formation and the SA
Army Intelligence Formation are also situated in
the Sebokeng buildings. The SA Army Infantry
Formation, SA Army Support Formation and SA Army
Training Formation Headquarters are still
situated at Army Headquarters. The SA Army
Engineer Formation is in the larger Pretoria.
The SA Army Armour Formation Headquarters is
the headquarters of three regular force units
and seven reserve units. The formation
headquarters is under direct command of the SA
Army.
The first general officer commanding
appointed was Brigadier General B.C. (Chris)
Gildenhuys, SM, MMM and the first formation
sergeant major was Warrant Officer H.J. (Floors)
Venter. They are both currently still in
command.
Armour Museum History
The idea of instituting a Museum and Research
Library for the South African Armoured Corps
started as early as 1994 and was officially
approved by the Chief of the SA Army on 12
October 1995. Approval for the use of a
historical building located in the lines of the
School of Armour, Tempe was granted in April
1995. Unfortunately, no funds were approved for
the museum, although the Department of Public
Works restored the building. A number of fund
raising projects were launched and with
donations from various private business and arms
manufacturers, funds were raised to manufacture
a number of showcases and other items. An appeal
to all members of the Armoured Corps and other
interested persons resulted in a number of
different items being donated to the museum.
With great success and with the assistance of
personnel from the School of Armour, the museum
was officially opened by the Chief of the Army
on 13 September 1996 to coincide with the 50th
anniversary celebrations of the South African
Armoured Corps.
To date, the museum has gone from strength to
strength accumulating vast quantities of various
items of interest and the collection of numerous
armoured tracked, wheeled and other vehicles.
The historical building dates back to the
years 1902 - 1904 and stands on historical
grounds in Tempe, the farm on which British
occupying forces were garrisoned after the
occupation of Bloemfontein on 14 March 1900.
The large British Garrison (soldiers and
families) soon had a need for a military
hospital. Between 1902 and 1904, three large
pre-fabricated wood and corrugated zinc
buildings were erected for this purpose.
Accompanying these hospital wards were
pre-fabricated administration blocks and
nurses-quarters. The hospital also cared for
women and children of the concentration camps,
(Anglo Boer war 1899 -1902). These concentration
camps were adjacent to this area. The British
Garrison used the hospital complex until 1912 -
1913. After the establishment of the SA Union
Defence Force in 1910, the hospital was declared
a Military Medical Service Training Facility in
1912. The hospital also functioned as a military
hospital until it was closed in October 1921. In
1923, the facilities were sold to the
Bloemfontein City Council for the price of £17
500,00 and were then used as an isolation
hospital during several epidemics, such as the
polio epidemics of 1934 and 1943. During the
1943 epidemic, the first Iron Lung was
introduced to a hospital in South Africa to
treat patients with lung conditions. In 1966,
the hospital started scaling down and early 1967
the now disbanded 2nd Armoured Car Regiment
moved in to occupy the area and buildings.
During the same year, the School of Armour took
over from 2nd Armoured Car Regiment and in 1970
the final historical building was taken over by
the School of Armour.
In 1985, some of the buildings from that era
were demolished to make way for new buildings
for the School of Armour. In 1995, the
historical building was restored to its present
condition. On 5 February 1999, this historical
building was declared a national monument. To
date, the building houses indoor displays of the
SA Armour Museum, an auditorium and a functional
hall.
Adjacent to and part of the museum is the
research library, which specialises in the
gathering of information, documents,
periodicals, books, etc with emphasis on armour
warfare and equipment. The library also
accumulates information on personnel, vehicles
and archive books of the South African Armour
Corps in particular. The library is in
possession of a vast quantity of books,
periodicals, documents, etc for research
purposes. This library also responds to requests
from around the world concerning equipment and
history of the South African Armour Corps.
"Hull-Down" was officially opened on 2
September 1999 by Brig Gen Fido Smit (Honorary
Colonel 1 Special Service Battalion) and houses
additional equipment and training aids that
cannot be housed in the museum building due to
limited space.
Within the lines of the School of Armour and
1 South African Tank Regiment, some sixty plus
armoured, tracked and wheeled vehicles are
displayed. Other equipment such as guns, radar,
mine rollers and ploughs are also displayed.
"Lesakeng" (the Corral for old Horses) houses
numerous armoured, tracked and wheeled and other
vehicles, mainly runners. The total structure as
it stands to date was developed and constructed
with donations from private funds, and good
friends of the museum. "Lesakeng" was officially
opened on 30 March 2001. The enclosure is an
ongoing process, as funds become available with
the final goal of laying a concrete floor.
Customs and Traditions
The Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu once said:
"The supreme excellence is not to man a hundred
victories in a hundred battles. The supreme
excellence is to subdue the armies of your
enemies without even having to fight them ".
This excellence can only be expected from a
well-motivated army with real character;
character that derives from a prominent,
well-established culture.
Customs and traditions form the cornerstone
of the culture of any particular group. Culture,
I believe, is the cement for building the future
of society. Military culture, a subculture of
society at large, which is practised in a
disciplined environment, is based upon, inter
alia, pride in the uniform, emblems and
insignia, and particular customs and traditions.
A unique military culture is in the process of
development in the South African National
Defence Force, and in the South African Army in
particular.
The South African Armoured Corps has a
history of just more than half a century.
Members of the South African Armour Corps, past
and present, take pride in this illustrious
history. It has been a remarkable period in the
annals of the South African Army. The Armoured
Corps has produced leaders and soldiers of
exceptional quality in this relatively short
period of time. These men and women were, and
still are, all committed to the upholding of
their Armour traditions, thus forming the
special bond that exists within the Corps.
Although a more specific culture has emerged
over the years through the active participation
of the Part-time Component in the activities of
the South African National Defence Force, and
this culture has also been projected in the
South African Armour Corps through its Reserve
Force Units, the South African Armour Corps
traditions only gained momentum in the early
1990. The then command cadre at the School of
Armour created an environment in which customs
and traditions were exercised frequently and
executed with the necessary pomp, dignity and
ceremony. I hereby pay tribute to those leaders
of the School of Armour who gave form to the
customs and traditions and also to those who are
now taking the unselfish task upon themselves to
record these traditions and thereby preserving
it for future South African Armour generations.
This commendable effort also coincides with
the early years of building on and creating a
new military culture subsequent to the formation
of our new South African National Defence Force.
Tradition is certainly an important building
block in the creation of our distinct Armour
culture. It should therefore be all-inclusive.
It should be accepted by all and practised by
all. The Armour again takes the lead in building
bridges based on sound and healthy human
relations.
I express the wish that the traditions of the
Armoured Corps, as recorded in this booklet,
will continue to serve as a force multiplier in
building relations and living the culture. It
is, without doubt, a morale booster in our
endeavours to prepare the force, an excellent
force, for whatever future challenge.
Symbolism: The Flame of
the Armour
The Flame of the Armour symbolises the
inextinguishable spirit and energy of the South
African Army Armoured Corps.
The flame reminds us of the following
qualities:
- Energy - in that it emanates heat and
inner strength.
- Light - in that it changes insecurity
into certainty and confidence.
- Life - in that it is constantly in
motion.
- Purity - in that it separates, cleanses
and refines.
- Unity - in that it confirms our
dependency, for alone we can achieve
nothing.
The Flame also reminds us of the fire within
every Armour soldier that enables him or her to
deliver extraordinary performance and
achievements. Irrespective of the enemy, we will
advance and go forward with the flame in our
hearts.
The Flame also reminds us of the destructive
firepower that the Armour can concentrate on the
enemies of our country, in order to ensure peace
and stability.
The Flame of the Armour also embraces the
national torch of tolerance symbolising that
outwardly we are people of many colours, many
races, many cultures, many languages, many
religions and many origins, yet we are all tied
to one another by a million visible and
invisible threads that make us share a common
destiny from which none of us can escape!
The Flame of the Armour inspires members of
the South African Army Armoured Corps to stand
firm and proud - faithful to God, our country
and our task.
Faithful, true and steady - come what may,
we are ready.
Symbolism, South
African Army Formation Badge
The SA Army Armour Formation badge (51mm H x
34mm W) of chromium-plated white metal was
introduced for use by the South African Army
Armoured Corps on 1 October 1996 during the
celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the
Corps. This badge is the first distinctive badge
for the SA Army Armoured Corps since its
establishment on 18 October 1946.
From the establishment, all SA Army Armoured
Corps Regular Force members, except recruits,
wore the chromium-plated white metal badge of
the Special Service Battalion. This badge was
worn until 1963. In 1963, the Special Service
Battalion's badge was adopted for use by the SA
Army Armoured Corps but the letters "SSB/SDB"
were replaced with the letters "SAAC/SAPK".
The mailed fist placed centrally in the
laurel wreath derives from the legend of the
iron fist of the German mercenary Gots Von
Berlichingen. Gots (of the iron hand) Von
Berlichingen (circa 1 500) was a German
mercenary who lost an arm during one of his
numerous battle campaigns. To continue as a
mercenary, he had an arm made of iron. He wore
this arm in battle, which terrified the enemy.
Got's arm is believed to be displayed in a
museum in Jagsthausen, Germany.
The mailed fist therefore symbolises physical
force and aggression, typical to armour actions.
The laurel wreath surrounding the mailed fist
symbolises glory and honour. A King Protea, the
national flower of South Africa, closes the
laurel wreath at its top ends.
The motto "PECTO SICUT FERRO" (With a Chest
of Steel) is inscribed on a scroll below the
mailed fist and wreath.
Replicas of the Armour badge, which are a
smaller version (40mm H x 27mm W), are worn as
collar badges on the service-dress jacket and
miniature versions on the mess dress jacket.
The badge was officially approved by the
Chief of the SA Army, Lieutenant General R.
Otto, in October 1996 and is worn by all SA Army
Armour Corps Regular Force members not attached
to an armoured unit.
The Tanker's Prayer
I pray Thee, Heavenly Father,
Please hear this tanker's prayer
And send an Angel to me
For my tank and crew to care.
Be with us for we need
And lend a helping hand,
And carry safely our machine
Across this barren land.
Please keep our tank from running dry
When we face the foe in fight
And place our gunner's cross hairs
On the tank that comes in sight.
Please keep our radios in shape
And our comms working right.
Be with us when we kneel and pray
Ride with us day and night.
Please our ammo coming,
Help us ring our freedom's bell.
But above all, Heavenly Father,
See us do our duty well.
And if we fall in combat,
In the mist of morning grey,
We ask Thee, Heavenly Father,
Take our pain and sorrow away.
We ask Thee, Heavenly Father,
Take the pain and sorrow away.
Amen
The Armour Song
When icy winds blow your way,
In scorching heat of a summer’s day
When winds of storm howl round your ears
And rain is pouring down like tears,
We’ll still stand proud, still stand tall,
Faithful to God, our land, our all.
Armour man, still be true,
Other do rely on you,
Ever proud, ever strong,
That’s the oath we pledge: “Ever be true”.
Artillery shots disturb the night.
Forward still our engines fight.
And we pray: “Come day, come light”.
The struggle fought, the battle won,
We are respected, as team, as one!
Armour man, still be true,
Other do rely on you,
Ever proud, ever strong,
That’s the oath we pledge: “Ever be true”.
And when the winds of change do come,
When stormy clouds block out the sun.
Lord, when time comes for me to go,
Let others see, please let them know
I die with pride, true to my call –
Faithful to God, my land, my all.
Armour man, still be true,
Other do rely on you,
Ever proud, ever strong,
That’s the oath we pledge: “Ever be true”.
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